Dream it in Color
by earthtoanna
Summary: With new love blooming all around  A new girlfriend for Ron, a new crush for Ginny  it's no wonder Harry and Hermione finally agreed on a real relationship. But with new problems to fix and the Dark Lord to face, can they hold together?
1. Chapter 1

Hi everyone! You obviously won't no me very well as this is my first posted story on here, so bear with me. I'm not that amazing of a writer and I likely won't reach your standards, but while writing is something I love to do, it isn't my true passion.

This particular story may start a bit slow (and short), but gets much better as it goes along, so if you could not give up on me right away I'd greatly appreciate it. Slow as it is at first, this fanfiction is very dear to me as it was the first decent story I ever wrote (giving me hope and showing me how much I really love writing) so please give me a chance(;

Thanks.

Now, without further ado, Dream it in Color

Hermione sat in the church between her parents. Tears swimming in her eyes as the preacher spoke. "…was a tragic accident that none of us could've helped," He was saying. She cried harder every word. Aunt Debbie and she had always been close, and now she was gone. Dead. Out of her life forever. "Debbie was a sister, a wife, a mother; and most of all, a friend. She will be greatly missed." Hermione hugged her father's arm and cried into it. She knew that her parents weren't mad at her, but they still wouldn't meet her eyes.

She'd caused a lot of trouble for her family. Not intentionally, of course. Just cause of who she was. _What _she was.

They took a moment of silence and Debbie's twin daughters –Cindy and Mindy- sobbed. Hermione cried harder then she could ever remember crying before. She couldn't believe this was happening to her.

As the funeral ended, they left in silence. And though tears ran down Hermione's cheeks, her parents' eyes were almost completely dry. She missed Debbie, of course. But on top of losing her favorite aunt, everyone was blaming her. Debbie had just been found dead one day. No sign of wounds or poison. She was in perfect health except for the fact that she was, well, dead. Which could only mean one thing; she'd been killed by the killing curse. And of course, being the only witch of the family, Hermione was blamed. No one knew what she was except for those _very _close to her, but once it caught on, it couldn't be stopped.

Her mum and dad talked the entire drive to the luncheon, whereas she remained silent, looking out the car window. She missed her friends. She hadn't heard from them since school ended and she was getting a bit worried. Ron never wrote to her, so she wasn't surprised by that. But it wasn't like Harry at all to not keep her posted on what was happening. She knew that he'd been staying with his godfather, Sirius, since his name got cleared. But she thought it was oddly out of character. She wanted to write to him. To tell him everything that was happening. She knew he would understand. He always understood her.

She thought of nothing but his bright green eyes as she sat at the luncheon, picking at her food. No one spoke to her, which she was glad for, but they glared at her, making her feel uneasy. Eventually, she decided she needed some fresh air, and she went outside.

She walked as far as she could probably get away with from the restaurant. She heard thunder roll somewhere in the distance, so she could tell a storm was coming. But she didn't care. She pulled the elastic band out of her bun and her mocha colored curls fell down, almost reaching her waist. And as the first drops of rain fell, she collapsed on the ground by the side of the road and cried.

She clutched handfuls of wet grass as she lay there, sobbing. She ignored the loud thunder and the drops of rain that hit her face at an intense speed. She wished Harry were there. He'd hug her and tell her everything would be okay and that he'd always be by her side. He was her best friend, though she wanted it to be more. It'd only been two weeks since she'd seen him, but it felt like an eternity. She missed him. She missed the way his black, messy hair fell in his eyes. She missed the way his emerald eyes shone when he smiled. The way he laughed. The way he did everything was extremely cute. But he only liked her as a friend, making her crush seem more like an unhealthy obsession. She cried harder just thinking about it.

For how long she lay there, she didn't know. She just knew that she was a mess. She'd been lying in the rain for what seemed like forever. Luckily, her dress was black. But the rest of her was a wreck. Her curls fell limp from the rain and her mascara was smeared from crying.

As she walked back to the restaurant, she wondered if they'd noticed her absence. She doubted it. The thought would've made her cry more, if only she had any tears left. She was fairly sure she was pretty dehydrated right now because she'd cried to the point that her head was starting to ache. She stumbled tiredly along the path she'd taken to her stopping place, letting her mind wander back to Harry.

She wanted to tell him that she liked him, but she was scared to. What if he laughed at her? What if he thought she was stupid and naïve? She didn't think she could handle the rejection, so she decided to keep it to herself… for now.

As she reached the restaurant she did her best to make it look like she hadn't been in tears. She brushed a stray curl behind her ear and went inside just as thunder crashed loudly behind her. "Hermione!" Her mother exclaimed as she came over to her. "What happened to you?" Hermione shrugged.

"Just… took a walk. Needed some air." Her mother shook her head disapprovingly.

"Come on, sweetie. We're going home." She said dragging Hermione out the door by her arm. Hermione sighed and walked to the car, just wishing for this day to end.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry laid his face on his desk and sighed. He'd only been back at the Dursleys' for a few hours and he was already eager to leave. He didn't understand why Sirius had had to leave for a week or two on such short notice. Ever since his name had gotten cleared, Harry had stayed with him and he couldn't be happier. He'd figured it would always be that way. That he'd never have to go back. But there he was. Back at the Dursleys'.

"Potter!" Uncle Vernon yelled up the stairs. Harry sighed. He didn't know what he'd done this time, but he didn't want to. He walked to the bottom of the stairs where his uncle was pointing angrily at a white owl feather on the ground. "What is _this_?" He said grumpily. Harry shrugged. Uncle Vernon's already purple face got purpler than ever, if possible. "It's a feather from your bloody bird. Why is it here?" Harry shrugged.

"I didn't put it there." He said and his uncle did something he'd threatened to do many times, but had never _really_ done, and he slapped him. Right in the face. Making it so he tasted blood. Harry was astounded. He'd never been physically abused before. Starved, yeah. But that's the most physical thing that his uncle had ever done to him.

"Move it." Uncle Vernon said. Harry was still too surprised to move, so he just stood there. Uncle Vernon slapped again. That brought Harry back to reality.

He picked the feather up and took it upstairs, still in shock. He sat at his desk after placing the feather in Hedwig's cage (he wasn't thinking about the trash bin right beside him) and just stared straight out his window. He held a hand to his mouth and then looked at it. And only the blood in his mouth made him realize what had just happened.

He'd been hit. He wanted to write to Sirius. To tell him. But he couldn't. Sirius wouldn't have left him if it wasn't absolutely necessary. He probably had a lot on his mind. And with that thought, he closed the matter. It's not like Uncle Vernon would do it again, right? Not knowing that Harry had wizard friends that could easily hurt him. _Boy was he wrong. _

Four more times. Four more times, just that day, he was hit. Once in the face, three times in the arm. He was developing bruises and his lip was busted. He sat by his window, looking out at the rain as he dabbed his bloody lip with a wet rag. He thought about his friends. He missed Ron and Hermione. They were always apart during the summer, but this time felt different. Maybe it was the whole hitting thing, but he felt more alone.

He sighed and collapsed on his bed. Hedwig was tapping on her cage, eager to get out. Harry looked over at her and shook his head.

"Sorry, Hedwig. You have to stay there." He said out loud, though he hadn't meant to. He lay there, staring at the ceiling, wishing he were back at Sirius's house. He looked over at the alarm clock beside his bed and groaned. It was still only 8:13. He thought about sending a letter to one of his friends, but decided better of it. He looked at his newly bruised arms and then closed his eyes, and in a matter of minutes, he was asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

_Don't worry, _The Voice said. _You'll have your turn. Just you wait. It's coming sooner than you think. _It'd done this about Debbie as well. Always the same thing. _Enjoy your time together. _It had said when she'd come to visit last. _She'll be gone soon. Enjoy her while you've got her. _And now the Voice was back. Invading the fifteen-year-old's dreams. She didn't understand. She knew now that it was referring to death, but why her? Debbie had been killed by a wizard, obviously. But why would _she _die? She was just a boring, normal, average Mud-Blood. There was nothing extraordinary about her. She was just Hermione. Hermione. She was Hermione. This was a dream. She needed to wake up. _Now._ Just a dream…

Hermione woke with a start and stared at the ceiling, panting. She didn't understand why this was happening to her. Only Harry ever got the weird dreams and stuff. Just because he was, well, _Harry_. He was _The _Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived. And she was just Hermione. Super-Brainy Mud-Blood. She rubbed her tired eyes and sat up, wishing for September to hurry up and get here already. But, no. Almost two whole months until school started up again and she would _finally _get to see her friends. She got up and brushed through her light curls, yawning. She did her makeup and got dressed before heading downstairs. She wanted to take a walk. To get away from here. Away from all the blame and hatred. So she grabbed a handful of cereal and walked out the front door without so much as a glance at her parents. They wouldn't care. She highly doubted they would, at least. She sighed and looked up at the sky, frowning. Although the rain had stopped, the sky was still grey and dreary, so she figured it wasn't entirely done. Great, just what she needed. More rain.

After walking for a while, Hermione decided to take a different walk route then she normally did. She felt like going through the forest, as it reflected how she felt right now. Sad. Unwanted. Neglected by so many. Just looking at it brought fresh tears to her eyes.

She didn't understand why she'd been crying so much lately, but it was driving her - and all those around her - mad. She needed to get a grip, and fast, because she got the feeling that something was getting ready to happen. Something that required a great leap of faith and bravery.

Hermione turned and walked into the forest, feeling more at peace than she probably should've in such a place. She walked further into the forest then she could ever remember walking before. But she really didn't care. She was actually slightly relieved to be so far from her house. As she watched squirrels run across the pathway, tackling each other for some reason, she laughed for the first time in what felt like a lifetime. Birds flew above her head and she could've sworn she saw a deer to her right, and it felt more like home than home had recently. She liked it in here. It was a great place for her to think things over, and though she there were many other living things in here, she felt alone. But in a good way.

Eventually, she came to a large lake in the middle of the forest. It looked deep enough for her to swim in if she wanted to. She found herself sighing in relief as she sat by the edge of the lake, wondering if her parents were looking for her yet. As she gazed over the water, she pictured Harry's bright smile. She got as close to the lake as she could without falling in, and looked at her reflection. The water was so still that she could've been looking into a mirror. As she watched herself in the water, she began to notice how different she looked. People say that everyone looks older with short hair, but her newly long locks made her look more like her fifteen-year-old self and less like that bushy haired, big-toothed, know-it-all girl they called Hermione, five years ago. The hair probably didn't have as much to do with it as the all-together mannerisms did, though. She seemed wiser, yet more hurt. She looked like she'd seen a great deal more in her life than most teenage witches and wizards had. Which, in a way, she had. And as she looked into her own chocolate-brown eyes, she realized just how much she'd been through recently. She'd lost her favorite aunt, been blamed for it, and was now having dreams about it. Something was going on, and it involved her somehow. And although she didn't understand what she'd done to deserve all this, she had a feeling it had something to do with Harry. It _always_ came back to Harry.

Hermione leaned forward to observe herself further, but she leaned a little too far and fell right into the lake. Luckily, she realized what was happening in time to hold her breath. As she fell beneath the water, she practically laughed at herself. She swam back up to the surface, but decided not to get out. The water felt good in the hot summer air and she hadn't swam in who-knows-how-long. She took in a deep breath of air and willed herself to go underwater. She was glad she'd taken her shoes off when she'd first found the lake, or her walk home would've been quite uncomfortable. She swam around trying to get a good look at the underwater of the lake, and realized how deep it really was. She had been guessing about five or six feet, but it turned out to be more like fifteen or twenty! She came up to the surface to get some air, then went below once again.

After what she thought was about an hour, she decided to get out, since she hadn't meant to go swimming in the first place. She rung out her hair and adjusted her shirt, thankful that she hadn't worn white (That would be an awkward walk home!) She smiled to herself as she laid back in the grass, exhausted. After a few minutes of lying there in her very uncomfortable, wet, jean shorts, she drifted off to sleep.

She didn't wake until late afternoon, but she really didn't care. The Voice hadn't bothered her until the end of her nap, which she was thankful for. But she was still scared, thinking back on it. It had said to get ready. Just _get ready_. Over and over again. _Get ready_. Ready for what? She soon found out.

As Hermione walked in the door, her hair still in damp waves, she yelled, "I'm home!" to no response. She frowned and walked into the kitchen. There was a piece of paper taped to the refrigerator door with her father's handwriting on it. She raised her eyebrows and read.

_Hermione,_

_I went out to look for you earlier but couldn't find you._

_Meet us at the hospital as soon as possible._

_Love you,_

_Dad_

Hermione nearly fell over after reading this. What happened? Hopefully not another death. She thought for a moment. What had the Voice said? _Get ready._ She dropped the note on the kitchen floor and ran as fast as she could. Luckily, they lived fairly close to the hospital, since it was attached to the dentists' office that her parents worked at.

Hermione reached the hospital and dashed inside. "Oh, hello, dear," said the receptionist, Betty. "Your parents told me you would be coming. Your father's in there." She said pointing to the waiting area.

"Thanks." Hermione said. She hurried into the small room filled with chairs. She looked around and spotted her dad in the corner, reading a magazine. "Dad!" She said running over to hug him.

"Hermione!" He said. "I take it you got my note." She nodded.

"What happened?" She asked, worried. "Well, your mother had a little…" He cleared his throat.

"…accident. She broke her leg." He explained. Hermione let her jaw drop.

"What? How?" He held a hand up to silence her.

"I'll explain everything later. Now," He said. "What happened to you?" Hermione bit her lip.

"I went on a walk," She said nodding. He raised an eyebrow.

"How did you get wet, though?" She didn't want to tell her father about the lake, though she didn't know why.

"Sprinklers," She said, finally. "I was walking past a house as their sprinklers turned on and I got soaked." He raised his eyebrows.

"How did you get so wet though? They were just sprinklers." He said.

"Well don't ask me," She responded. "I didn't _want _it to happen." Her dad shook his head.

"All right, all right. Sit down. Your mother shouldn't be too much longer." He said, still not looking her in the eyes.

Over the next week, Hermione's mother was almost used to her crutches. But Hermione was still not used to being ignored this much. She'd offered many times to help her dad take care of her mum, but he denied her every time. So she spent countless hours in the forest instead. Usually by (or in) the lake. She'd grown to love the woods, though she couldn't understand why. On this particular warm afternoon, she sat at the edge of the water, legs in the shallow part. She stood up, deciding she wanted to swim. She'd worn her swim suit under her clothes for the past week, just in case. As she pulled her shorts and tank top off, she thought she saw something in the sky. It wasn't a plane… It didn't look like a bird…. She shrugged and got into the water. As soon as she got in deep enough, she dove under the water. As soon as she ran out of breath, she surfaced. As she wiped the water from her eyes, she noticed that the thing in the sky appeared to be getting closer. She frowned and looked hard at it. She gasped as she realized what it was. It was an owl. A small brown owl named Pigwidegon that belonged to Ron. Pigwidegon was holding a letter. Hermione quickly got out of the water and held her arm out for Pig. He gave her the letter before flying around like mad, as usual. She was delighted see Ginny's handwriting on the envelope. She opened it and read.

_Hermione,_

_I haven't heard from you in so long and I miss you! I wanted to know if you would like to spend the rest of break at my house. Write back as soon as possible!_

_Love, _

_Ginny_

Hermione smiled and quickly grabbed Pig, pulled her jean shorts on and ran home, pulling her tank top over her bikini along the way. She dashed inside and upstairs, still soaking wet. She grabbed a quill, ink, and some parchment and hurriedly wrote her reply.

_Ginny,_

_I would love to stay with you! To tell the truth, I've been really lonely and bored lately. I am sooo glad you wrote to me. When would you like me? I can come any time. _

She thought about what the chances were of walking to the Weasleys'. She shook her head and continued writing.

_Is there any chance you could meet me somewhere? I don't think I could easily find your house. (: Thanks again for inviting me._

_Lots of love,_

Hermione

Hermione looked over this and smiled to herself. She handed the letter to Pigwidegon and opened her window to let him out. He hooted happily and flew off. Hermione laid back on her bed, smiling. She'd finally be able to get away from all of this and get back to the wizarding world. And for once in a long time, she found herself grinning.


	4. Chapter 4

Harry woke up in a cold sweat from yet another nightmare, his lightning scar burning. He wiped his face, frowning to himself. He only got nightmares like this before something very bad was going to happen. Always the same one, which extremely worried him. He looked down at his bruised arms and sighed. He needed to get away from here and now would be his best chance, since they were all asleep. He got up and looked at the mirror on his wardrobe door. His messy, black hair had grown to almost reach his shoulders but his green eyes still looked the same. He flinched as pain suddenly shot through the scar on his forehead, making him stumble backwards. He shook his head and went to get dressed.

After pulling on a t-shirt and jeans, Harry sneaked downstairs. He walked down the street and away from his aunt and uncle. He was so relieved to be out of that terrible place that he hardly noticed the pain in his scar. As he walked, he heard something from behind him. He turned, but saw nothing, so he kept walking. As he was passing a small playground, he heard it again. It sounded like footsteps. But once again, he saw nothing. Quickening his pace, Harry kept on walking. As his own footsteps got faster, so did the other footsteps. Harry continued walking faster and faster until he was running. Once again, the mysterious footsteps sped up with his. Harry ran down the street, cold morning air slapping him in the face.

The footsteps got louder and Harry gasped as he tripped and fell. The pavement scraped his knees as he hit the ground, but that was the least of his problems. He rolled over and saw the outline of a person standing about five feet away, but he couldn't see through the early morning fog. The figure was approaching just as Harry heard more footsteps. The figure turned, then hurried away. Harry gasped for air at what had just happen, but he couldn't think about it much because whoever had scared the mysterious figure away was coming closer. As they came into the light, Harry was shocked to see his cousin. "Dudley!" Harry said in surprise. Dudley snickered.

"You snuck out of the house. You'll be in sooo much trouble." Of course. Dudley grabbed Harry by the arms and yanked him along. Several times he let Harry fall and further injure his knees and then yelled at him for "struggling" and then punched him in the gut. It was really a most unpleasant walk back to number four, Privet Drive.

By the time they reached the front door step, Harry was choking in pain. In between the stinging in his knees and the stabbing pain in his stomach, he just wanted to curl up in a ball. But he wouldn't. He knew to never show weakness in front of a bully. He had enough experience. Dudley dragged Harry inside, laughing. Apparently, Aunt Petunia's Dudley Senses had been telling her that he wasn't in bed, because both her and Uncle Vernon were in the kitchen. "Duddikins!" She said, running over to make sure he was all right.

"Where have you been?" Dudley smiled evilly.

"Potter snuck out!" He said, shoving Harry forward. Uncle Vernon made a creepy growling noise in his throat and stepped forward, rolling his pajama sleeves up. And what happened next was very visual and very painful.

Harry stumbled into his room later that morning, bruised and bleeding just about everywhere. He couldn't believe his uncle. How could he do this to him? The Dursleys had always hated him. But never before very recently had they ever hurt him this badly. He sighed and collapsed on his bed, wishing he could just get away from here. And after lying there for a long time, just thinking, Harry fell asleep.

When he woke, it was dark out and his alarm clock read 8:39 p.m. He wasn't as surprised as he would've normally been that he'd slept all day, because he was exhausted. His arms ached, though the bleeding had slowed, but his head throbbed terribly. But for once it wasn't his scar, just pure pain. He lay there for several hours, staring at the ceiling. He thought about Hogwarts and his friends. He wondered what they were doing right now. Ron was probably staying up late, playing Quidditch. Hermione was probably reading her spell books, wishing for school to hurry up and come. And here Harry was. Just lying here, in unbearable silence that seemed to stretch on forever. He thought about Sirius, and what he might be doing right now, wherever he was. Harry was angry at Sirius, though he'd never admit it. He'd thought that Sirius had left him with these people again for some good reason, but Harry was being abused and Sirius couldn't even send him one lousy letter to explain what on earth was going on? Harry felt guilty for thinking this thought almost immediately after he'd thought it. Sirius knew how awful the Dursleys were and would've never left Harry with them if he didn't absolutely have to. But still, Harry wondered what was important enough to make Sirius leave.

Harry stayed in his room all day the next day. He wouldn't even leave for meals. He was starving, but he was a little afraid to get in Uncle Vernon's way. Harry wondered if there was something wrong with him. He'd never been afraid of his uncle, no matter what he did to him. But after yesterday morning, Harry was _not_ going to get in his way.

"Potter!" He Uncle Vernon shouted from downstairs. Harry flinched and slowly crept to the bottom of the stairs.

"Y-yes…sir?" Harry stammered.

"We're going out. We won't be home until late. Touch anything except for your room and you'll wish you'd never been born." Uncle Vernon said. Harry nodded. "And I'm warning you," Uncle Vernon added. "If you do anything - _anything – _abnormal, I'll kill you." Gulp. Kill? Harry nodded again and went back up to his room.

Harry waited until the Dursleys were entirely gone, then collapsed on his bed. He lay there for about a half hour, wondering why he hadn't heard from any of his friends in so long. And just as he thought it, he saw something out his window. It looked like an owl, but he didn't want to get his hopes up, so he just told himself it was a crow or something. But as it got closer, Harry realized that it _was _an owl. A small brown owl by the name of Pig. Well, Pigwidegon. But Ron called him Pig. Harry opened the window and the owl flew in, dropping a letter on Harry's desk. Pig flew around the room excitedly and Harry tried to calm him as he grabbed the letter. The envelope said _Harry Potter _in the sloppy handwriting that Harry knew so well. He opened it and read.

_Harry,_

_Mum and Dad told me about Sirius having to leave for awhile. Sorry, mate. I know it's not the same, but Mum said you can stay with us for the rest of the summer. It sure beats staying with the Muggles, right? Hermione's coming here soon, too. Don't know why, though. I thought she was supposed to go on vacation. Anyway, we can pick you up if you want (The Ministry is letting Dad borrow a Ministry car for the summer. Don't ask me why.) Write back soon._

_Ron_

Harry grabbed his quill and ink and hurriedly wrote back.

_Ron,_

_Thanks for writing; it means a lot to me. I'd love to stay with you. You're right, it beats staying with the Muggles any day. You'll have to come whenever they aren't home though, or Uncle Vernon will have my head. _

_Thanks again._

Harry

Harry nodded to himself and put it in an envelope reading _Ron Weasley_. He gave it to Pig and sent him off, sighing. Soon he'd go to Ron's house and he'd be away from here. Finally. Harry sat down on his bed. He rubbed his scar - which had started burning again - and groaned. Suddenly, sharp pain shot through his forehead, making him cry out. Images shot through his mind and he fell to the floor. He saw the body of a lady, dead on the ground. He saw people glaring. He saw a funeral. He saw a forest. He saw a lake. He saw a note. He saw a hospital. The images flew by so quickly that it made him feel light-headed. But what he saw last shocked him the most. He saw a mirror, showing him Hermione's reflection. Her hair was wet and she had tears in her eyes and she was holding a small, beaded bag. She looked towards the pictures of her family and friends that hung on her wall and she nodded, then walked out.

Harry opened his eyes, finding himself lying on his bedroom floor, next to his desk. He was sweating and shivering like mad, and his scar was throbbing. But that's not what bothered him. He'd just seen Hermione. Not that he didn't love Hermione, but this was different. He hadn't just randomly thought of her. He'd had a scar-attack and saw her, which meant that somehow, she had something to do with Voldemort's current plan. But no. It couldn't be. She was Muggle born. Harry decided that he must be going crazy and continued about his day as usual. Doing nothing. Only now, he had Ron's house to look forward to.


	5. Chapter 5

This chapter is kind of short, guys! I'm sorry to say, but the next two chapters are even shorter, _BUT _they do get longer in about chapter eight.

Chapters one through seven were written a while back when I never wrote more than about 1,800 - 2,000 words per chapter, but I know for a fact that chapter nine has about 2,800, so it'll be getting more interesting soon.

I would just like to say one more thing before allowing you to read on and that is thank you.

Thank you all sooooooo much for continuously reading and giving me feedback; it means the world to me.

You all rock.

Please tell me what you think of this chapter anf maybe tell me what I could do better for future reference!

Oh yes, and as some of you kindly pointed out, in place of Chapter Five, Chapter Two (technically chapter one from Harry's point of view) got re-uploaded. Looking into the predicament, I realized that the Document Uploader had messed up temporarily and thought that the file for Chapter Five was actually Chapter Two.

But the problem has been resolved and without further ado, the _**REAL **_Chapter Five:

Hermione lay back in the moonlight, smiling to herself. Tomorrow, she would meet the Weasleys at the Leaky Cauldron at 3:00. She was extremely excited, yet very scared at the same time. Her parents' didn't know she was going. Her plan was to leave a note tonight and run away. She would take a bus to London, where she'd stay the night at the Leaky Cauldron, spend the day in Diagon Alley, and then meet the Weasleys that afternoon.

She'd never snuck out before, and the idea both exhilarated and scared her. But Harry had done it plenty of times, and if Harry could do it, she would do it too.

She rolled onto her side and looked at Lake Potter (that's what she'd named the lake. Cheesy, right?) She closed her eyes and imagined Harry's warm smile and his face when he saw her next, whenever that'd be. Would he hug her? Would he just say hi? As she thought about this, her head started hurting. She rubbed her temples and frowned. Sudden pain shot through her forehead and she yelled a little louder than she'd meant to. She rolled to the side and into the lake, fully clothed. As she struggled for air, random images shot through her mind, way too fast to make any sense.

She saw Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, waving. She saw Harry's aunt and uncle and cousin, shoving her up the stairs. She saw Harry's uncle slap her. Harry's uncle busting her lip. Harry's cousin kicking her between the legs (and it actually hurting?). She was lying on concrete as a dark figure approached. She was being yanked down the street. More and more images flashed through her brain and then finally, she saw a reflection in a mirror. It was Harry. His arms were covered in bruises and dried blood and his lip was bleeding. He glared around the room in disgust, and then looked out into the dark street. He looked tired and like all he wanted was to be somewhere else. He slung his bag over his shoulder and walked out.

Hermione opened her eyes and realized that she was still underwater. She swam up quickly and gasped for air. As she lay there, shivering in the cool night air, she thought about what had just happened. She'd seen things like this happen to Harry all the time, but still. She wasn't Harry. She had no relation to You-Know-Who whatsoever. She got up and rung her hair out, sighing as she saw what time it was on her now-soaking-wet watch. It was about 8:30. She wouldn't leave until 10:00, but now she needed to go dry off first.

Hermione walked home, confused and soaking wet. She wanted to know why all these terrible things were happening, 'cause she truly had no idea. But she thought if she could just see Harry again everything would be okay. She wouldn't be so lame as to say she couldn't live without him, because it'd been about two weeks since she'd last seen him and here she was. Alive. But dead or alive, she was miserable without him.

She'd always been the weird nerdy girl that didn't pay much attention to love, but recently, it was all she thought about. When Viktor Krum – the world-famous Quidditch player – asked her to the Yule Ball last year, something clicked. It made her realize that maybe, _just maybe_, she was good for more than good grades.

Hermione sighed as it started to rain and she wondered if it was worth it to dry off. She got home and walked straight upstairs. Normally, she would've gone to see her parents, as a sort of goodbye, but given the circumstances, she decided not to. Because normally, they would know she was leaving. But she doubted they would notice her absence, as she spent most of her time away from home these days.

She walked down the hall and to the left, into the bathroom. She locked the door turned the bathtub faucet on, deciding she would bathe now rather than later. She looked in the mirror for a second, frowning, and then she began to undress.

As Hermione lay back in the hot water, she thought about Harry (of course). She wondered if he'd felt anything when whatever had happened earlier happened. It had something to do with him; she could feel it. But she really didn't know why it had happened to her instead of another. She squirted shampoo into her palm and rubbed her hands together. As she was massaging it into her long hair as she had a sudden realization. What if the same thing had happened to Harry? What if he was having one of his visions as it happened to her? If it did have something to do with him, why her? She wasn't anything special. She washed the shampoo out of her hair and sighed.

Hermione got out of the bath about twenty minutes later, tired, but now clean. She grabbed a towel, wrapped it around herself, and sat on the edge of the bathtub. She looked at her watch - which was sitting on the counter - and sighed. It was already 9:06.

She brushed her wet hair behind her ear and stood up. She looked in the mirror and saw her all-too-familiar face staring back at her nervously. She looked into her own brown eyes and took a deep breath before pulling on her bathrobe and throwing her dirty clothes in the hamper. She grabbed her watch, put it around her wrist and then crossed the hall, into her room.

She pulled on some jeans, a t-shirt, a jacket (just in case), slipped on some ballet flats and then she double checked her beaded bag (which had an undetectable expansion charm on it) and nodded when she found that everything was packed. She took one last look in the mirror, tears welling up in her eyes. She looked at her many pictures of family and friends and then nodded, knowing she had to do this to protect them. She walked out of her room, down the stairs, and out the door, walking into the unknown where her only company was her thoughts.

Hermione walked several miles until she got to the bus stop, where she sat down on the bench, waiting. As she saw the bus approaching, she wiped the last tears out of her eyes and stood up. She boarded after paying the driver, and made her way to the back, where she sat for what seemed like an endless ride to London, just thinking and listening to her Muggle MP3 player.

She leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. She would've fallen asleep, but before she could they'd reached her stop so she got off and thanked the driver, then set off walking. She walked and walked until she reached her destination; the Leaky Cauldron, the wizarding pub that only people like her could see. She walked inside and got a room for the night, then ordered a butterbeer and sat down. She placed her elbows on the table and buried her face in her hands and then took a deep breath and leaned back in her seat. This was the hardest thing she'd ever done, yet it had been so easy. She'd just walked out, completely unnoticed. But still, leaving her family behind? That was hard. She stood up and walked upstairs to room 11, where she collapsed on the bed. And after lying in her canopy bed for several minutes, she fell asleep.

Hermione woke the next morning, fully rested, having not had any nightmares last night _and_ The Voice had left her alone for once. She looked at the clock which read 11:24 a.m., and then rubbed her eyes and sat up.

She walked over to the mirror and brushed her hair, wondering what Harry was doing right now. _I hope he's having fun at Sirius's house_, she thought to herself as she did her makeup. She reached into her bag and pulled out a pair of jean shorts and a top. As she changed her clothes, she thought about what she and Ginny might do this summer. Maybe Hermione and she could go swimming, if they had a lake nearby… She also wondered what Ron had been doing this summer. He usually spent it with Harry, but since Harry was at Sirius's house… She looked back at the clock as she sat on the bed and sighed. 11:41. The Weasleys wouldn't be here until 3:00, so she had a little more than three hours to kill.

She headed downstairs for some lunch, but what she saw instead was way better. It was Harry. He was talking to the bartender, getting a drink or food or something. Hermione gasped and hurried down the stairs. "Harry?" She exclaimed, as if trying to prove he wasn't really there. He turned around and smiled.

"Hermione! Ron told me you were coming." Hermione didn't have time ask what he meant, because soon they were hugging.

"It's so good to see you!" She said, still unable to believe he was here. He laughed slightly.

"It's great to see you too! I didn't think you'd be here so early." Hermione shrugged.

"I got here last night, so I got a room and stayed until morning." He nodded. He looked happy upon seeing her and he was soaking wet from the storm outside, but other that, he looked exactly the same as he had in her vision of him. He was pale and tired looking with bruises covering his arms and looked as though he hadn't eaten in a day (which, now that she thought about it, was an entirely logical possibility.) She was going to ask what happened, but she couldn't bring herself to say something so negative when she was just seeing the boy she loved again. Hermione smiled at him and he smiled back, making her heart melt.

"So," Hermione said, trying to make conversation as they ate lunch together. "How has your summer been so far?" He frowned as if the topic bothered him.

"Ehh," He practically mumbled. This reply was just short enough to drop the subject; at least for now. Just then, a group of six redheaded wizards came in through the fireplace and she smiled. The Weasleys.

Hermione and Harry stood at the same time and grinned. Ginny ran over and embraced Hermione, making her smile even bigger, if possible. Lots of hugs were exchanged, and for once, Hermione wasn't even thinking about her parents.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N**

**That's right. I'm back. **

**I just realized that using Bold letters might make Author Notes so much easier to read, so from here on, A/N will be in all bold.**

**Anyway, this chapter is MUCH longer than I thought it was. By about 350 words. So, happy surprises all around. **

**Still, This chapter is short in comparison to the later chapters, and I'm really hoping it won't completely overwhelm all of my lovely readers. But as it is a Harry Potter Fanfiction, long chapters are to be expected. **

**On that note, I want to thank every single one of you who constantly gives me feedback and favorites. I love you all. You're why I actually post my stories rather than let them go to complete waste, just sitting in my Computer Documents for all eternity. **

**You guys are amazing.**

**Oh yes, one more thing before I allow you to actually _read._ If I can _EVER_ get iTunes to work on my computer (it installed but won't allow me to access my account) I'm going to make a Harmony (and maybe some Runa and Drinny) video to the song that inspired this story (as music is, after all, my inspiration for all things) and post it on my YouTube (earthtoanna23. I don't actually have any videos up yet, since I can't edit until I have music, but if you still wanna subscribe in advance, I'd greatly appreciate it.) **

**In conclusion to this terribly long A/N, goodbye, enjoy, and please review! **

Harry walked down the street, cold rain dripping down his face. His arms stung from the saltwater soaking into his many injuries and his head ached from lack of sleep. He kicked a rock, angry and exhausted. As if he didn't have enough to worry about, now he had to walk to London just to get away from the nightmare called the Dursleys house. He wanted to throw himself to the ground and cry. If it weren't for the small hope he had that nothing would go wrong at the Burrow, he would've been happy to let Voldemort kill him.

Harry slung his bag over his shoulder and groaned as it hit his aching back. He felt tired and a little sick, but he didn't care, as long as he was somewhere – anywhere – away from that horrible place. He crossed the street, and then kept walking further and further away from his life at Privet Drive… at least for now, anyway. God knows he'd have to go back eventually. There would always be something keeping him from friends and family. Ahem, _decent _family. The Weasleys weren't _technically _family, but Harry considered them his real family.

As Harry got closer to his destination, he wondered if the Weasleys would be happy to see him. He knew they liked him – Mrs. Weasley had said she thought of him as a son – but for some reason, he felt annoyed with himself, which must've made him doubly annoying to others. And then there was Hermione. Oh Hermione. Well, let's see. She was pretty, smart, creative, and very loyal. But as he was leaving the train station in June, she had said "Bye, Harry!" and then kissed him on the cheek. Not that he hadn't enjoyed it, but he was worried that this might affect their friendship. It's not like she _liked _him or anything, but it was still weird. He had never been kissed before, making the fact that his first kiss was with his best friend even weirder.

Harry trudged on as the rain began to pour harder, and thought to himself, _Almost there. Soon I'll see Ron and Hermione and Ginny and all the Weasleys again. _This thought alone kept him walking through the hard rain, cold and wet as he was. As he neared the Leaky Cauldron, he took a deep breath and then went inside, just as thunder cracked in the distance. He shut the door behind him and rubbed his bruised arms, trying to warm up.

As Harry walked over to get a drink, he heard an all too familiar voice say, "Harry?" He turned to see Hermione running down the stairs and over to him. He smiled.

"Hermione! Ron told me you were coming." He smiled to himself as he pulled her into a warm embrace. It wasn't until right now that he realized how much he'd missed her. As they pulled away she said,

"It's so good to see you!" Harry couldn't help laughing a little. She was just so sweet.

"It's great to see you too! I didn't think you'd be here so early." She shrugged.

"I got here last night." This surprised Harry, but he just nodded. He shivered, still freezing from having to walk all the way to London, but other than that, he felt fine. In fact, he felt better than he had in weeks. He suggested that they eat, as he hadn't in awhile, and together they waited for the Weasleys.

"So how as your summer been so far?" Hermione asked. Bothered by the conversation, he just answered with a simple "Ehh" and she quickly shut up.

The Weasleys soon arrived (by Floo Powder, of course) and there were hugs all around. They then went over to the fireplace, and one by one, using the pot of Powder hanging from the side, exclaimed "The Burrow!" and they would find themselves in a small living room, where everything was magic.

Five of the hands on the clock (one with each family member's face on it) all turned at once towards the word "Home" to indicate that they were all back safely. Ginny grabbed Hermione's wrist and dragged her up towards her bedroom that they would be sharing, so Ron and Harry did the same (only with Ron's room, of course.)

Once they were all settled in, the Weasleys, Hermione, and Harry all caught up over dinner, and Harry felt at home, at last. No one hitting him for 'getting in the way'. No one starving him for 'leaving his stuff around'. It was just Harry sitting at the dinner table with the people he loved, and who loved him back. _That_ was home. And Harry was so glad that he'd run away from that hellhole called Number Four, Privet Drive, because there was nowhere he'd rather be than here. With Ron and Hermione and Ginny and Fred and George and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

After dinner, Ron and Harry went back upstairs to the very top of the tall, leaning house that was no doubt held up by magic. They sat on their beds for hours, just talking about their summers. Or, Ron talking about his summer and Harry nodding and listening. Ron seemed to notice that Harry was bothered by the subject, because he said, "I'm sorry that Sirius had to go do stuff, Harry." Harry shook his head.

"It's cool, mate. I mean, it's just the Dursleys I was stuck with… Nothing new." Although everything about it was new. They'd hurt him. They'd hurt him badly.

"So what happened to your arms and face?" Ron asked a little while later.

"Oh, uhm, I dunno really…" Harry said, looking at his arms. Ron opened his mouth to argue further, but just then there was a knock on the door and Hermione came in, her light hair pulled back into a ponytail.

"Ginny's gone to bed," She said. "Can I come in?"

Harry quickly said "yeah." glad for a subject change. Hermione smiled and came fully in, closing the door behind her.

"What are you talking about?" She said, sitting down beside Harry.

"Nothing!" Harry said before Ron could say otherwise. Hermione curiously raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. "All right. Whatever you say."

They spent the next few hours just sitting in Ron's bedroom and talking. Hermione was in the middle of a sentence when Harry suddenly smiled to himself.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing," he said. "It's just that it's great hanging out, just like old times." Hermione nodded, though she looked slightly disappointed, though over what, Harry didn't know. _She likes you. _A Voice said in Harry's head, startling him. "What…?" Harry whispered quietly. Hermione looked at him.

"Harry?" She said and he looked up, brought back to reality. Hermione smiled slightly and then carried on speaking. Harry smiled, listening to his two best friends in the world converse was amazing. It'd been too long. _She likes you as more than a best friend, Harry. _The Voice spoke again. _She's in love with you. _

"Shut up!" Harry said angrily to his head. It took a moment for him to realize how odd that seemed. Hermione looked at him.

"What?" Harry looked into her deep brown eyes.

"Nothing…" He said, not sure himself what he was talking about. He was just going mad. Simple as that.

A few minutes passed and Hermione and Ron appeared to arguing over something, but Harry couldn't focus on that, for his scar had begun to burn again. _Open your eyes, Harry Potter. She loves you. _"Oh my God! Shut up!" Harry yelled, and then clapped a hand to his mouth, realizing he'd spoken aloud once again.

"Harry, are you all right?" Hermione asked, looking at him worriedly. Harry wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, frowning.

"Yeah. F-fine." Harry stammered. Hermione put her hand on his and he remembered what the Voice had just said. _She likes you as more than a best friend, Harry. _Harry smiled at the thought, though. But of course, the Voice could have easily been lying.

"You're a bit pale," She said. "Maybe we ought to go to bed." She suggested, smiling sympathetically. Ron nodded.

"Yeah, mate. I think we're all a bit wiped. We should go to bed." Harry sighed, and then nodded, deciding he'd better agreed. Hermione brushed Harry's shoulder with her soft, gentle hand, making him smile. Ron looked at her suspiciously and then smiled.

After Hermione had gone, Harry and Ron lay in bed in silence. "So," You could practically hear Ron smirking as he spoke. "I haven't been able to keep in touch with you lately, so guess what?" He said.

"What?" Harry replied, though he figured he couldn't care much about whatever Ron was saying, because his scar was throbbing terribly.

"Guess who got a girlfriend over the summer?" This made Harry sit straight up. Ron nodded, grinning.

"Who are you dating?" Harry asked, now very interested. Ron smiled, raised his eyebrows and shocked Harry when he answered.

"Luna Lovegood."

"No way." Harry said, astonished. Ron nodded, falling back onto his pillows.

"Seriously, mate. She's amazing." Harry laughed.

"I reckon she used to freak you out a bit." Ron nodded.

"Bit, yeah. But she's harmless, really." He said.

"So who do _you _like? He asked raising his eyebrows. "Still Cho? Or is it maybe someone different…?" He said, making it very obvious that he had someone in particular in mind.

"Neither," Harry said, truthfully. "I don't like anyone at the moment." Ron smiled.

"Mmm-Hmm. You just keep telling yourself that." Harry rolled his eyes at Ron and lay back. This was going to be a verrryyy long summer indeed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Is it bad that I'm only eleven chapters (43 pages on word) into the story and I'm already planning a ****sequel (if you all would like one, of course. Otherwise I'll write it and not post.) **

**I've been reading others' fanfictions and have been getting a lot of great ideas and inspiration. The most common being a more grown-up themed story in which they're older (between nineteen and twenty two) and are starting their own life and family. **

**I thought this was a good idea because there are very few things I enjoy more than babies, and the thought of getting to incorporate the next generation (If you all like the idea then I will be taking ideas on names and such) is just such a wonderful one in my mind.**

**I know you can scarce imagine what joy I find in the thought of even_ writing_ from the point of view of a mother, but I'm not asking for understanding; just your opinion. If I were to begin the writing of a sequel to Dream it in Color when I'm finished, would you read it? **

**And if so, do you have any childrens' names ideas for any of the couples used in this particular fanfic? **

**Feedback would be wonderful, especially in answer to the previous questions asked.**

**Thanks(;**

Hermione lay in bed early that morning, thinking of, you guessed it, Harry. He hadn't pushed her away last night when she'd made a move… twice. And today she got to see him again. All day long. She smiled and sat up, deciding she had better take a bath, because Merlin knew she needed one. She grabbed the prettiest outfit she could find (jean shorts; a pink, slightly frilly top; a black blazer; and her usual black ballet flats) and headed to the bathroom, her small, beaded bag in hand.

No one but Hermione had woken yet, so she was free to bathe in peace, and as she lay in the warm water, she smiled to herself. She wasn't worried about her parents. Even if they missed her, they'd get over it. She was wanted here, and she didn't cause so much trouble for others this way. It worked out better for everyone.

About a half hour later, when she was all clean, Hermione got out of the bath. She wrapped a towel around herself and began brushing through her long hair and when she was all dry with hair brushed, she slowly pulled her clothes on and did her makeup.

Hermione, dressed and ready for the day (minus the damp hair), headed back to Ginny's room, where she found Ginny, awake and almost ready for the day and doing her own makeup. Hermione closed the door behind her and sat on the bed. Ginny turned and smiled at her. "Morning. Have a nice bath?" She asked brightly. Hermione shrugged.

"Yeah, pretty nice. It's just great not having to worry about getting in anyone's way." Hermione said in all truthfulness. Ginny nodded, turning back to the mirror to finish applying mascara.

"Tough summer, huh?" she asked sweetly. Hermione nodded.

"Too much drama and accusations," She said. "I needed to get away from it all. That's why I…" She said, feeling her eyes burn, though no tears came. Putting down her mascara bottle, Ginny came and sat by Hermione.

"You ran away…" Ginny said, understanding. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming here without permission before?" Hermione sighed.

"I felt guilty. But I cause far less trouble this way. And I missed you and…" Hermione stopped again. Ginny grinned.

"You missed Harry. I know you like him. I can tell." Hermione blushed. Ginny nudged her side. "It's all right. I'm over him." Hermione smiled gratefully at her.

They spent the next few hours talking and laughing and pretty much being teenage girls. Hermione often forgot that Ginny was a year younger than her, because she was so experienced and mature. Hermione herself was great with feelings and stuff, but not when it came to herself. "Boys can't take a hint," Ginny said disapprovingly. "I don't know why they always have to be so thick." They exchanged smiled before deciding to go down to breakfast, where they found the boys, already up, dressed, and eating. Mrs. Weasley smiled.

"Good morning dears," She said brightly, serving Hermione and Ginny, and then sitting at the table, now that the whole family (except for Mr. Weasley, who was at work) was seated and eating. Hermione thanked her and slowly ate her breakfast. "Oh, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said smiling and shaking her head. "You look so lovely. You're growing up to be a fine young lady." Hermione blushed and thanked Mrs. Weasley sheepishly.

Carrying on further with the girlie conversation, Hermione, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley almost completely ignored the boys' colloquy about Quidditch and such.

Hermione finished her breakfast, and with Ginny's okay, she went up to Ron's room, where he and Harry were. Apparently Ginny had someone to send an owl to someone. (Hermione truly had no idea who.) Reaching the room at the very top of all the many staircases, she knocked softly on the door and then came in. "Hello," She said, smiling.

Hours passed and Hermione remained on the floor between Harry and Ron, talking about lots of different things. Usually, they'd be talking about Harry's latest visions/dreams and trying to figure out what they might mean, but the subject of Voldemort seemed to make Harry uncomfortable, so Ron and she had had a silent agreement to avoid the topic.

Hermione jumped as lightning flashed outside on yet another rainy day and Ron laughed slightly. "Bit frightened, are you, Hermione?" He said and Hermione stuck her tongue out at him. Harry didn't seem very interested in their joking at the moment, for he was very focused on the rain hitting Ron's bedroom window.

Hermione looked where was so intensely concentrated, but saw nothing out of the ordinary, so she figured he must've been stressed out. She looked at him encouragingly and patted his hand, which was on the floor right beside her. He looked at her and she locked eyes with him. She felt a small spark, and no, not romantically. She literally felt a slight electrical shock when they'd locked eyes, and judging by Harry's expression, he had felt it too. They stared at each other, astonished, and then looked at Ron, who apparently hadn't noticed anything had happened.

As Hermione walked down for lunch with Harry and Ron, she thought. This didn't make sense. What just happened? Okay, so apparently, she and Harry had a weirdo connection that caused them to get shocked when they locked eyes. This sort of scared her. Was that normal? Well, it obviously wasn't _normal_. But nothing about Hermione's life was normal. 'Was it not un-heard-of?' would be a better question.

Hermione sat next to Ginny, who, reading the look on her face, frowned. "What's up?" She whispered. Hermione shook her head to indicate that she'd explain later. She'd mostly lost her appetite, and Harry obviously wasn't feeling very hungry either, because he only barely picked at his food. She ate a little and then went upstairs, avoiding Harry's eyes at all costs.

Hermione lay down on the guest bed in Ginny's room and sighed, closing her eyes. She hadn't even realized she'd fallen asleep until Ginny woke her by opening the door, about ten minutes later. "Now," she said locking the door. "What's up?" Hermione sighed and told Ginny what had happened. Ginny stared at her, mouth open as if she thought Hermione was insane. "You got… shocked? Like, literally? You're not just metaphorically illustrating that it was enchanting?" When Hermione shook her head Ginny just shrugged, looking utterly lost for words. Hermione groaned and lay back, her long curls bouncing as her head hit the mattress. Ginny leaned her head against the bedpost and stared blankly at the wall. Hermione finally spoke.

"It didn't like, electrocute us or anything. It just lightly shocked us, making us aware that something really _is_ going on between us," Hermione said, staring at the ceiling thoughtfully. "And not like romantically. Like literally." She added, pointlessly.

"Wait a second," Ginny said, sitting up straight and staring at Hermione. "You make it sound like you've been thinking all along that there was something going on between you, literally," Ginny said, almost accusingly.

"Well," Hermione said, unsure whether to tell her. "I had no _evidence_, but I could sort of just tell…" She said, deciding not to tell. It just seemed like a private sort of thing. Ginny looked at her suspiciously and Hermione turned her attention away from the ceiling. She looked at Ginny innocently and she just shrugged and leaned back again. Hermione looked straight up and silently wondered what Harry was thinking right now; and more importantly, what he was thinking about what had just happened. She looked back at Ginny and then closed her eyes in frustration and before she knew what was happening, she was asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi guys!**

**I apologize; it's been _forever _since I've updated, but I have an explanation: I was in Pittsburgh for three days after I last posted, and I got home Monday and school started Thursday and then Friday we went back to PA to help my grandmother pack (she's moving) and I just got home moments ago.**

**With school and all I probably won't be updating as often (every three days to a week, most likely) and I'm really sorry, but I'm just one girl.**

**Justina, on of my best friends, suggested that I begin writing the sequel ahead of schedule and try to manage both stories at once, and I just might do that (which would also delay my posting, as I'd be more behind in writing.)**

**But either way, my calender is jammed this year (even though my school schedule is _much _more flexible) with extra band practices and performances, piano lessens, baton lessons, and everything else that I'm doing this year in preparation for high school, plus, I'm also working on an original story which will be up on Fictionpress sometime next week (or so I'm hoping.) **

**But basically, please bear with me and I will post as I can.**

**Somehow, you guys have almost caught up to me. I just can't seem to write fast enough, so thank you guys!**

**Stay chill,**

**Anna**

_Sirius,  
>I don't know if you'll even get this, given the circumstances (which I am still unaware of) but I couldn't <em>not_ write to you for however long. I'm currently at the Burrow, so I'm safe, though I don't know about you. Hermione is here as well (she apparently was_ _going to go on vacation, but now isn't for whatever reason) and some weird stuff is happening. Since I really don't know if you'll get to read this, I won't bore you with details, but it's certainly weird, and unlike anything I've ever seen before (and that's saying something.)_

_Hope you're okay, wherever you are._

Harry

Harry nodded to himself as he sealed the envelope and wrote _Sirius Black_ on it. He handed it to Hedwig, who had shown up at the Weasleys' last night. Looking delighted to get to deliver something for the first time in awhile, she quickly flew out the window and Harry was left alone in Ron's bedroom, miserable, despite the fact that he was no longer at the Dursleys'.

He knew he should've been really happy to be with his two best friends again, but he actually felt more alone and confused than ever. He had an annoying Voice in his head now, telling him that Hermione was in love with him; he couldn't lock eyes with Hermione without getting shocked; and most of all, though he felt closer to Hermione than ever, he also felt more distant, in a way. Pretty much all of his problems led back to Hermione, which is what scared him the most.

She was so innocent and sweet. She could never have anything to do with anything related to him and his screwed up life. Other than the obvious _best friend_ thing.

Harry went over to the guest bed and collapsed, his scar hurting terribly. He was completely exhausted and confused and he didn't know what to do. He closed his eyes and was about to let himself fall asleep, when Ron came in. "Mum said I should get you for dinner but you don't have to come down if you aren't hungry," He said and then left. And Harry was alone, once again. He wasn't really hungry, but he decided he ought to go down anyway.

He sat up quickly, making him lightheaded, but he soon recovered and went down the stairs and into the kitchen where he sat next to Hermione and Ron at the table, feeling sick for no reason. Mrs. Weasley smiled at him and patted his hand gently as Hermione and Ron looked at him worriedly, making him feel even more uncomfortable. Apparently everyone could tell that he was in pain; it was very unnerving.

Harry sat in silence, poking his food with his fork, while everyone else ate and talked. Though Hermione and Ginny were deep in conversation, they both kept glancing nervously at Harry, as though worried he might faint any second. And now that he thought about, he_ was_ going to faint any second. He hurriedly excused himself and walked quickly to the bathroom. His stomach ached with nausea and his scar burned horribly, so he shut his eyes hard and in no time at all, he was a different person.

He was happy – no, ecstatic! Everything was going as planned, said his spy. The preparations would be finished right on time, if not sooner. This news couldn't be better, as his last plan had gone terribly wrong. He would succeed this time. He just knew it.

Harry opened his eyes. He was lying on the floor of the bathroom, sweating and shivering like mad. Worried about what the others would think is he was gone for too long, he got up, looked in the mirror and saw that he was very pale, but went back to the dinner table anyway. They were talking about something important, but Harry didn't tune in until he heard someone say 'Sirius'. "Wait, what?" Harry said.

"I got an owl from Sirius today," Mrs. Weasley repeated. "He says he's almost done and he'll be back soon. I haven't written back yet, but I'm sure he'll be delighted to hear that everyone's quite well." She looked at Harry as she said that last part and frowned. "Harry, dear. Are you all right?" Harry quickly said that he was fine, just tired and Mrs. Weasley insisted that he go to bed early. He really _was_ very tired, so he went up to bed.

As he lay there in silence, he thought of what he'd seen in the bathroom and frowned. What plans? He knew that whatever it was couldn't be good, so he decided to just forget about it and he allowed himself to fall asleep.

_You can't run away from your problems, Harry. _The Voice said to him in his sleep. _Sleeping whenever you're confused doesn't solve anything. You need to work on figuring out what they mean. I think you know someone who can help you. _Though Harry couldn't _see _the speaker, he could practically hear him/her smile. _You can't deny it for much longer, Harry. Eventually you'll come to see how much she likes you, and how you'll love her back. You need each other. _Harry tried with all his might to wake up, but he couldn't. _What did I just say, Harry Potter? You can't run away from your problems. _Harry, angry with the Voice, tried something he'd never thought of before.

_Shut up and leave me alone! _Harry thought and the Voice sighed.

_As you wish, Harry Potter. But remember what I said. _

Harry woke to find Ron getting into bed. "Hey, what time is it?" Harry asked sleepily. Ron shrugged.

"Dunno, 10:30, maybe?" Harry groaned. He'd hoped it was later. The less time he had to spend listening to that annoying Voice, the better.

Wishing that it could just be morning already, Harry closed his eyes and fell asleep once more.

The next week was very uneventful. Even the Voice left Harry alone if he told it to. But Harry was still confused about the whole Hermione thing. Did she or did she not like him? The Voice said she did, but it seemed to exist only to drive Harry mad, so he couldn't be sure.

Harry sat with Ron and Hermione at the breakfast table one morning, thinking as he ate his toast quietly. Just then, he heard a familiar, mystical voice floating through the open doorway. "Good morning, everyone!" Luna Lovegood said airily, walking into the kitchen.

"Hello, Luna dear," Said Mrs. Weasley, smiling.

"Good morning, Mrs. Weasley. How are you?" She said.

"Very good, thank you. Would you like some breakfast?" Mrs. Weasley offered.

"Oh, yes please," Luna said as Ron hastily pulled an empty chair next to his. Hermione rolled her eyes as Ron excitedly patted the seat beside him and Luna sat down, smiling to him. "Good morning, Ronald," She said as Ron took her hand and squeezed it slightly. Mrs. Weasley served Luna some breakfast and she thanked her before beginning to eat. Harry looked at Hermione who shrugged and gestured to the door. Harry, understanding, got up and headed outside after thanking Mrs. Weasley for breakfast.

Hermione soon met him outside and they walked towards the forest together. "Can you believe we've already been here for ten days?" She was saying. Harry shrugged.

"I think I can," He said. Hermione frowned at him.

"Why?" She asked.

"It's been a long week and a half," Harry said. "And at the moment, I could believe almost anything," He frowned. "Almost." She looked at him.

"What's the matter, Harry?" She asked, a depressed look upon her face. He opened his mouth to say that nothing was wrong, but she rolled her eyes and said, "Harry, I _know _something is wrong. I can tell. I know you better than you think," She said, smiling sadly at him. He raised his eyebrows.

"That's a bit unnerving, considering I already thought you knew me better than anyone," He said, smiling slightly. "Even Ron, sometimes." Hermione laughed and it felt for a moment as though everything would be okay.

"Ron is great, Harry. But I'm here for you, no matter what. That's a service not a lot of people offer," Said Hermione, her eyebrows raised anxiously. "I just want you to be happy," She said, grabbing his shoulders to stop him from walking any further. "And to know that you can trust me. I'm here for you," She said quietly, leaning close. "Always." Harry thought for a moment that they might kiss, but just then, what had been just sprinkling turned into a downpour of rain.

Hermione shrieked, and then laughed and twirled around as thunder rolled somewhere off in the distance.

Lightning cracked, making Harry jump. He was going to suggest that they go inside, but he couldn't bring himself to drag Hermione away. What used to be his know-it-all best friend had turned into a beautiful, gentle, caring young lady, and Harry couldn't help but smile as he watched her dance around, her skirt fluttering about. He finally grabbed her bare, wet arm (bare as she was wearing a strapless dress and wet because, well, it was raining) and she looked at him and then nodded, understanding that he thought they should go back now.

When they reached the Burrow, cold and soaking wet, Mrs. Weasley made a big fuss about it (as expected) and then gave them both towels.

Luna couldn't walk home in rain like this, so they decided that she would stay until it calmed down, and until then, she would stay with Ron. So while Ron and Luna were up in Ron's room and Ginny was in her room, Harry and Hermione went up to Charlie's old room. It was mostly cleaned out, except for a desk, a bed, and a chair, so they were free to just sit or stand just about anywhere.

Hermione lay on the bed while Harry sat against the wall, both of them silent. Finally, after what seemed like ages of quiet, Hermione spoke. "I really meant what I said out there, Harry," She said softly. "I really am here for you, no matter what." Harry looked up at her.

"Thanks," He said. "I really need someone like that. It's been hard for me lately and –" He cut off, sighing.

"And?" Hermione said, sliding off the bed and crawling over to sit on the floor next to him.

"And I'm here for you too. I promise." He finished. Hermione smiled.

"Harry?" She said looking up into his eyes sadly

"Yes Hermione?" He said, captivated by her not-newly-acquired beauty.

"Promise me one more thing." She said so quietly that he had to strain to hear her. He nodded. "Don't leave me," She said, tears welling up in her brown eyes. "Please don't leave me," She whispered, crying softly. "I – I don't want to be alone anymore," She said, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Why would I leave you?" He asked, stunned by her sudden breakdown.

"B-because p-people always leave," She cried softly. "And if y-you left me I d-dunno what I'd d-do!" Harry just stared at her for a moment, feeling completely beside himself at seeing the girl that's smile made him happier than anything else, sobbing. He couldn't think of what to do. He'd seen her laughing and enjoying herself merely a half hour before.

He'd known for a long that she was growing up, just like him, but it wasn't until he saw her right now, completely lost and broken, that he realized how much older she was. She was no longer snobby or stuck up and had grown to be the most caring, sweet, pretty girl that Harry knew. Her big eyes shone with wisdom and looked as though they'd seen it all, good and bad; her used-to-be-bushy hair was now smooth and fell in loose curls to her ribcage; her young face looked depressed and terrified, but also brave and strong. Altogether, she was a beautiful and courageous girl. And Harry loved her. He hoped beyond hope that the Voice was right, and that she was in love with him, because for the first time ever, he realized that he loved her, and that he had all these years. So he did the only thing he could think to do: he hugged her.

He wrapped his arms around her, letting her collapse in his lap. He held her close and whispered, "I promise." She looked up at him and, tears still coating her cheeks, she kissed him.


End file.
